Machine for separating and feeding



Aug. 7, 1951 s. TURRALI; srm. 2,563,492

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING COUNTED BATCHES OF' ARTICLES 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct- 6, 1948 Ar RNEY Aug. 7, 1951 a. TURRALL' s-rm.2,563,492

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING COUNTED BATCHES OF ARTICLES 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6. 1948 C/mRLss/i S/mwvne ATTORNEY Aug. 7,1951 G. TURRALL ETAL 2,553,492

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING AND FEEDING COUNTED BATCHES OF ARTICLES 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 6, 1948 R m MN Ms 4 5 mm A TTORNEY PatentedAug. 7, 1951 MACHINE FOR SEPARATIN G AND FEEDING 'COUNTED BATCHES OFARTICLES George Turrall and Charles Henry Skinner, London, England,assignors to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application October 6, 1948, Serial No. 53,098 In Great BritainMarch 3, 1945 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in arrangements for counting theproducts of machines such as printing machines from which the productsissue in a folded flat condition, and this application is acontinuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 650,671, on which U.S. Patent 2,484,196 was granted October 11, 1949.

The main object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism bywhich counting of the products is effected by separating a continuousstream of successive products into separated batches each consisting ofa predetermined number of products. This object is achieved, broadlystated, by diverting the products at count intervals (as they emergefrom the machine) to different travelling supports, and while productsto make up one batch are being directed to one support, the support towhich the products were previously diverted is speeded up to separate(in the sense of movement of the batches), the batch on that support,from the batch being completed at this time. The batches are taken inturn by conveying means which is travelling continuously at acceleratedspeed so that the separation between the batches is maintained and thebatches pass away in a stream to a collection point.

The supports may be constituted by endless conveyors which are moved ata regular speed in the sense of delivery and are accelerated atintervals. They are preferably arranged to move in dififerent planes,and a switch device is employed to divert the products first to onesupport and then to the other support, the switch being operated atcount intervals.

The speeding up operation is effected intermittently, first on onesupport and then on the other, and due to this speeding up action, itwill be obvious that the batches will not only be separated at differentlevels, but the trailing extremity of one batch at one level will not bein vertical register with the leading extremity of the next-deliveredbatch on the other level, but will in fact be ahead of verticalregister, due to the acceleration which caused the gap.

The speed at which the travelling supports move when receiving productsis preferably so related to the rate of delivery of the products tothem, that the products are deposited thereon in closely overlappedrelation, and means are provided to accelerate each support while it iscarrying a completed batch of products and while products to form thefollowing batch are being directed to the other'support.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, Figure 2 is a plan Viewwith certain parts omitted, and as seen on line 2 of Figure 1 in thedirection of the arrows, Figure 3 a detailed elevation of a portion ofthe mechanism drawn to a larger scale, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sideview, and Figure 5 is a side view of a power transmitting devicesuitable for driving the travelling supports,

The invention is shown applied to a delivery which receives foldedproducts passing from a conventional folding mechanism of a printingprinting machine. The folding mechanism, as best shown in Figure 1,comprises a folding cylinder I having folding-off blades (not shown)which are operated in the usual manner and projected beyond theperiphery of the cylinder l to press the central part of a product onthe cylinder, between the nip of folding-off rollers 2, 3 from betweenwhich the products will issue in succession with their folded edgesleading. The operation of this class of mechanism is well known and itis considered unnecessary to describe it further. Thus so far asconcerns this invention, there pass from the rollers 2, 3, a successionof products to be handled by the delivery mechanism of the invention.

The purpose of the mechanism, which is best shown in Figures 1 and 3, isto enable the products to be separated in counted batches which pass inregular succession with the batches spaced apart in the stream. Theproducts issuing from the folding-off rollers 2, 3 pass down betweenguides 4, 5 to rollers 6, l, which advance the copies to curved plates 8operating to change the direction of the copies from the vertical to thehorizontal, the rollers 6 cooperating with another roller 9, to projectthe copies in a sensibly horizontal direction.

Immediately on the discharge side of these rollers 6 and 9 are switchesor deflectors H] which are movable in grooves l I formed in theserollers as is seen in Figures 2 and 3. These switches are mounted on ashaft l2 which has an arm l3 coupled by a link M to an actuatingcomponent l5 having cam followers l6 engaged by a box cam I 1 fixed on ashaft 18. The shaft I8 is driven through gears I9, 20 from some rotatingpart of the machine so that the speed of the cam is related to the rateat which products pass from the rollers 6, 9.

These switches are disposed in the region of the ends of two superposedtravelling supports or conveyors each in the form of sets of endlessconveyor belts or tapes 2|, 22. The function of the switch device is todefiect products first to the belts 2| of one conveyor and then (after apredetermined number of products has passed thereto), to deflect thenext batch of products to the belts 22 of the other conveyor, and so on.

Thus the switch ill in one extreme position diverts products issuingfrom between the rollers 6 and 9 to the lower conveyor belts 22 and inthe other extreme position it diverts the products to the upper conveyorbelts 2|. The switch I6 is held by the cam IT in one extreme positionwhile the copies to form a batch pass, say, to the lower conveyor belts22 which are moving continuously so that the copies are laid down, lyingmostly over one another with a pitch that is dependent on the speed ofthe belts, and are conveyed towards the take-off end of the equipment.As the last copy of this batch is being delivered to the lower conveyorbelts 22, the switch I is operated by the cam ii to divert the next copyissuing from between the rollers 6 and 9 to the upper conveyor belts 2|,which are also moving continuously and upon which as a result theproducts are laid down, the switch remaining in this position until thefinal copy of the next batch has been diverted to the upper conveyorbelts, whereupon the switch I9 is reversed to divert copies to the lowerconveyor belts and so on.

The products have so far merely been divided into batches travelling atdifferent levels. In order to establish a gap between the batches intheir sense of travel, mechanism is providedto accelerate a countedbatch delivered to the conveyor belts 2| during the time that the nextbatch is being formed on the conveyor belts 22, and similarly toaccelerate a batch delivered to the belts 22 during the time that thenext batch is being formed on the belts 2|. Additional conveyor belts ortapes 23, 24 are continuously driven at a speed greater than that atwhich the conveyor belts 2| or 22 are driven during the periods in whichthe conveyor belts 2|, 22 are receiving products; the preferred speed ofthe conveyor belts 23 and 24 being substantially the same as the speedto which the conveyor belts 2| and 22 are accelerated in the periodsthey are not receiving products. The paths of the conveyor belts 2| and22 overlap the paths of the high speed conveyor belts 23 and 24respectively, so the products may pass smoothly from the former to thelatter.

Thus the batches having been received on the conveyor belts 2| during aperiod when they are driven at slow speed, will be forwarded rapidly tothe high speed conveyor belts 23 when thespeed of the conveyor belts 2|is accelerated.

Similarly and in alternation with the conveyor belts 2| the conveyorbelts 22 will receive a batch of products at slow speed and when theyare accelerated, the batch they carry will be delivered to the highspeed conveyor belts 24, the operation. being timed so that while onebatch is being laid on the conveyor belts 2| the batch previously laidand completed on the conveyor belts 22 is being forwarded to theconveyor belts 24 at the accelerated speed. Thus it will be seen thatthe batches will not only be separated at different levels, but that dueto the acceleration, the batches will not form (in the sense ofmovement) continuations with other batches, but they will in effect bespaced apart. It is now merely necessary to combine in a single streammoving at the speed of the conveyor belts 4 I 23 and 24, the counted andnow separated batches, to provide the desired continuous stream ofseparated batches. For this purpose, the batches are taken first fromone set of high speed conveyor belts 23 or 24 and then from the otherset by a take-away conveyor moving preferably at the speed of the highspeed conveyors 23, 24.

The take-away conveyor as shown in Figure 4, comprises wires 25, 26 andpulleys 21, 23, that are disposed so as to form a receiving jaw intowhich the batches of products on the high speed conveyor belts 23, 24pass, and from this point they are taken away, as for example, to apublishing room. This figure illustrates diagrammatically thedisposition of a number of batches. On the upper high speed conveyorbelts 23 is indicated a complete batch B, which has been accelerated andis being conveyed at the higher speed, while on the lower conveyor belts22 (which are moving at slow speed), the batch B2 is still beingcompleted. A gap between batches B and B2 has thus been formed at thistime. Obviously, as the conveyor belts 23 present the batch B thereon tothe wires 25, 26 of the take-away conveyor, the gap formed between thetwo batches B and B2, is maintained, and when the batch B2 on theconveyor belts 22 has been completed and accelerated, the precedingbatch is being carried away by the wires 25, 26 of the take-awayconveyor and so maintains the gap.

For the upper conveyor belts 2|, it may be desirable to provide adjacentthe point at which products pass to it from the switch In, control belts29 which are driven at the speed of the conveyor belts 2|, 22, and willhold down and form with the belts 2|, a passage for the control of theproducts. The same arrangement may as shown, be applied to the lowerconveyor belts 22, the control belts being indicated at 30 and in eithercase these control belts 29, 36 would be capable of yielding bodily sothat in the event of a jam occurring the belts would yield to allow thejam to clear.

For this purpose, the control belts 29, 39 pass around pulleys 3| andover pulleys 32 carried on shafts 32 (Figures 1 and 2) at the outer endsof the arms 33 which are pivotally supported by shafts 33 and biased bysprings 34 so that the pulleys 32 can yield.

The position of the various belts as to their separation is alsoadjustable to suit the particular products being dealt with. For thispurpose, the pulleys 3| of the control belts 29 are carried by a frame35 which is bodily adjustable by screw arrangements 36 at each end. Theforward pulleys 3| of the control bolts 36 are, together with co-axialbut separate pulleys for the lower conveyor belts 2| carried by a frame39' pivoted at 40 and adjustable by screw mechanism 4!. Rear pulleys 3|for the control belts 30 are carried by a frame 42 pivoted at 42' andadjustable by screw arrangements 43. The lower conveyor belts 22 pass attheir forward ends around pulleys 44 carried by a frame 45 pivoted at 46and adjustable by a screw arrangement 41.

The high speed conveyor belts 23, 24 pass over pulleys 48 and 49respectively, the forward pulleys 48 and 49 being fixedly mounted onshafts 59, 5| respectively, which are driven by a suitable connectionwith a rotating member of the machine. On these shafts 50 and 5|, arealso loose-. ly mounted, guide pulleys over which the belts 2|, 22 passrespectively to pulleys 52, 53 fixed on. the driving shafts 54, 55. Thecontrol belts 29 are driven by pulleys fixed on the shaft 31 which maybe driven from the shaft 54 by a crossed belt (not shown) or othersuitable means, and the control belts 30 are driven by pulleys on theshaft 38 by a similar connection to the shaft 55. Each set of controlbelts thus moves at the same speed as the conveyor belts with which itcooperates.

In order to control the movement of the copies as they pass from therollers 6, 9 to the upper conveyor belts 2|, there may be providedcontrol discs 56 each having a curved slot 51 formed in its periphery.The discs are driven at a peripheral speed corresponding to the speed ofadvance of the products so that any impetus which the product may haveobtained is absorbed by the end wall of the slot into which the productpasses. The product is thus smoothly laid down on the conveyor belts 2|moreover it will be seen that the tongues which overhang the slots 5'!operate as the discs rotate, as smoothers to smooth down the products asthey lie on the conveyor. The discs are mounted on a shaft 65 carried atits ends in adjusting plates 65 to enable the setting of the discs t beregulated.

For the purpose of obtaining the required rotation of the rollers 6, and9, and of the control discs 56, the gearing arrangement shown in Figure3 is employed. A driving gear 58 is in mesh with a gear 59 on the roller6 and with a gear 60 which in turn meshes with a gear BI on the roller 9and a gear 62 on the roller 1. In addition, a gear 59 on the roller 6 isconnected by an intermediate gear 63 with a gear 54 on the shaft 65carrying the control discs 56. This arrangement thus provides a compactgear train affording the correct direction rotation of the variouscomponents concerned.

It will be obviou that in the arrangement described, the switch |0 needbe only of light construction since it is merely called upon to divertthe printed copies, and it will have a relatively slow action since itcan operate to effect the diversion, over a period between the passageof products which is approximately equal to the time taken for one ofthe products to pass a given point.

It is apparent that when the switch I!) is turned upward to deflect theproducts to the lower conveyor belts 22, these belts must be driven atslow speed in order that the products may be received on the belts inclosely lapped relation, but when the switch I0 is thrown downward so asto deflect the products to the upper conveyor belts 2| these belts mustbe driven at slow speed, and at this time the conveyor belts 22 will beaccelerated to quickly pass the batch of products they are then carryingto the high speed conveyor belts 24. The acceleration of each set ofconveyor belts 20 or 2| and the simultaneous deceleration of the otherset, is therefore preferably effected by the same mechanism thatoperates the switch Ill.

The conveyor belts 2| are driven by pulleys secured to the shaft 54while the conveyor belts 22 are driven by pulleys secured to the shaft55, these belts 2| and 22 being the belts that are driven part of thetime at low speed and part of the time at higher speed.

Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the shafts 54 and 55to rotating elements of the machine in such manner that each shaft maybe driven at either the high or the low speed as required, thecontrolling mechanism being arranged to rotate the shaft 54 at slowspeed when the shaft 55 is rotated at high speed and vice versa, withprovision for making the speed 6 changes in proper timed relation withthe operation of the switch Ill.

One suitable arrangement is shown in Figure 5 wherein change speed gearboxes 66 and 61 are supported on the conveyor side frames to receiveextending portions of the shafts 54 and respectively. These gear boxesare both connected to a driving shaft 68, preferably drivenlby themachine, and are arranged to drive the shafts 54 and 55 at either of twospeeds, depending on the position of control arms 69 and 10. The arm 69is shown in the slow position in Figure 5, and the arm TB in the fastposition.

These control arms are connected by a link H, and a rod 12 pivotallyconnected to the upper end of arm 10, extends to a pivotal connectionwith an arm of a bell crank lever 13 pivoted on a suitably supportedstud 14. The other arm of the lever 13 is slotted to engage a roller orpin 15 carried by the link 4 (Figure 3). With the link 14 in theposition shown in Figure 3, the products will be deflected to the upperconveyor belts 2 I. The rod 12 and the control arm 69 will then be inthe position shown in Figure 5, and the shaft 54 and the belts 2| willbe driven at the slow speed. At the same time, the control arm III willbe in position to drive the shaft 55 and thereby the belts 22 at thehigh speed. When the switch I0 is thrown in the opposite direction by adownward motion of the link I4, the control arms 69 and Ill will bemoved so that the shaft 55 will be driven at slow speed and the shaft 54at high speed. Thus, movement of the switch operating mechanism, will beaccompanied by acceleration of the products carried by the conveyorbelts 2| and 22, in properly timed relation to deliver them to the belts23 and 2'4, in separated batches.

It will be seen that if the shafts 5|] and 5| are driven by suitableconnections with the shafts 52 and 53 respectively, instead of from someconstantly rotating member of the machine, the belts 23 and 24 will ineffect become extensions of the belts 2| and 22 respectively. The belt23 at all times will then be driven at the same speed as the belt 2|,and the speed of the belt 24 will correspond with that of the belt 22.With such an arrangement, the belts 23 and 24 would be driven part ofthe time at slow speed, but by properly proportioning the length andspeed of the and the batches would be properly spaced between the wires25 and 26.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributesthereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,reference being had to the claims rather than to the foregoingdescription to indicate the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. To deliver successively printed products in counted and separatedbatches, apparatus comprising. a pair of endless continuously travellingbatch-receiving conveyors, means to direct automatically from a streamof products a number of products representing a batch first to onebatch-receiving conveyor and then a similar number of products to theother batch-receiving conveyor, means to accelerate each one of the saidconveyors while a batch is being delivered to the other conveyor so asto establish separation between the batches in itheirrsense of'movementito one conveyor am then' to the other; speed changez mechanism operatedsynchronously with".

the operation of the switchito increase the speed of 1 each conveyorduring periods 1 when products are deflected to the other conveyor,andatakeaway conveyor positioned'to receive, one at a time, theseparated and spacedbatches'of'prod uctssdirected alternately to -each10f th'epair of conveyors:

3. Inwaprinting machine delivery mechanism" arranged .for separating:acontinuous stream of products into a j stream of separated" countedbatches of products, ,a-pair of'conveyors, switch mechanism operable 'todirect a predetermined" number of successive productsinacontinuousstreamto each conveyor alternately-t0 'formseparatedbatches of counted productsgmeans to" drive each-conveyorat 'arelatively slow" speed while i it is. receiving; productsrand means operated. in timed relationzwith the switch mechanismto.

accelerate the-speed -of each conveyor-while -the other conveyoris:-rece-iving -;:products.

4. In a printing machine delivery mechanismarranged for *separating a-.continuous stream of products into astream of separated counted batchesofproducts; a pair-of conveyo-rs,switch mechanism operable to direct apredetermined:

number of successive products in a continuous stream to each: conveyoralternately, toform separated batches of counted products,achangeablespeed drivingmechanism 'operablein synchronism withtheswitch' mechanism to simul taneously drive alfirst con-veyor of thepair at high speed and. asecond conveyor of v the pair at slow.speediduringcertain.periodsand to si-. multaneously drivethe firstconveyor. at slow speed and the, second. conveyor, at. high speed.

duringintervening periods.

5;. In..a. printing machine-delivery mechanism arranged for separating--acontinuousstream of. products into, a stream. ofiseparatedcountedbatches .of prod'uct's, .a pair of ,conveyors, switch. mechanismoperable to direct'apredete'rrnined, numberv of .successive products inacontinuous stream .to .eachconveyor alternately to formseparatedbatchesof. counted products ai. speed change. device associated witheach conveyor,

meansto .drive each. conveyor ata slowspeed'to receive the products inclosely lappedrelation, and controlmeans for the speed change deviceinterconnected with the switch mechanism to accelerate the movement ofeach conveyor immediately. followingeach periodin which it receivesproducts.

6'. In a1- printing; machine; delivery mechanism arranged for separatinga continuousstream-of products-into a stream of separated countedbatches of productsapair of conveyors, switchmechanism operable todirect a predeterminednumber of successive products in a continuousstream to each conveyor alternately toformseparated batches of countedproducts, a speed change device associated with each conveyor,

means to drive each conveyor at a slow speed to receive theproducts inclosely lapped relation, control means for the speed change deviceinter;- connected with the switch mechanism to accelerate the movementof each conveyor to a higher speed which it'receives products, and atake-away'conveyor driven at a speed approximating the said higher speedand positioned to carry the separated batches of products away from bothconveyors.

7. In a printing machine delivery mechanism arranged for separating acontinuous stream of products into a stream of separated counted ibatches of products, a pair of conveyors, switch mechanism operable todirect a predetermined number of successive products in a continuousstream to each conveyor alternately to form separated batches of countedproducts, a speed change device associated with each conveyor, means todrive each conveyor at a slow speed to receive the products in closelylapped relation, control means for the speed change deviceinterconnected with the switch mechanism to accelerate the movement ofeach conveyor immediately following each period in which it receivesproducts, and to decelerate the movement immediately before each periodin which it receives products.

8. In a printing machine delivery mechanism arranged for separating acontinuous stream of products into a stream of separated counted batchesof products, a pair of conveyors, switch mechanism operable to direct apredetermined number of successive products in a continuous stream toeach conveyor alternately to form separated batches of counted products,a speed change device associated with each conveyor, means to drive eachconveyor at a slow speed to receive the products in closely lappedrelation, and control means for the speed change device interconnectedwith the switch. mechanism to cause low speed movement of each conveyorduring periods in which it is receiving products and high speed movementduring other periods.

GEORGE TURRALL. CHARLES HENRY SKINNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the' file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 269,159 Crowell Dec. 12, 1882862,148 Filteau Aug. 6, 1907 1,947,396 Jaite Feb. 13, 1934 2,328,859Taylor Sept. 7,1943 2,484,196 Turrall et a1. Oct. 11, 1949 immediatelyfollowing each period in

